Ah, the 4th of July. A weekend full of pool time, barbequing, gathering with family and friends, watching fireworks, and sippin’ on good drinks. Whether you’re hosting a party or just attending, we’ve got a few ideas to bring some sparkle to the day.

Firecracker Popcorn

Be sure to warn people before you set this out that it’s addictive. You may want to make more than one batch to keep the crowd happy! When we finished this, we added it to decorative paper containers for a little pop to the table.

Ingredients

1 Bag of Popcorn (use plain, no extra butter)

1 cup white candy melts

1 package red or blue Pop Rocks (we used both)

Red, white, or blue sprinkles (we used a combo of all of them)

Directions

Follow the popcorn cooking instructions and spread out onto a cookie sheet to cool. Melt the candy melts and drizzle onto the popcorn. This is best done with a spoon, flicking back and forth over the popcorn. Sprinkle the Pop Rocks over the popcorn. Add the sprinkles and allow to harden.

This was such a hit, we definitely plan on trying with colored candy melts and different colored sprinkles. (Probably not going to use Pop Rocks, since that gives the firecracker effect ;) )

DIY Utensil Holder

People still love mason jars, right? Well, we do. They’re so easy to drink out of, decorate, store things in, etc. This simple little trick will brighten up the food table. PLUS you can use this idea for any event or holiday!

Materials

3 mason jars

Ribbon. We used 2.5” thick ribbon

Hot glue gun

Directions

Measure out the ribbon around your mason jars. Make sure it overlaps a little bit and cut. Hot glue the ribbon on top. Ta-da! Easy peasy and adorable mason jar! Put your forks, knives and spoons in here and prepare for compliments on how presh your decor is!

Star Spangled Spritzer

Now the part you’ve all been waiting for…the recipe! This drink is refreshing, simple, and looks so pretty!

Ingredients

1 slice of watermelon (We used pre-cut slices)

2 slices of pineapple (We got a whole Pineapple and then trimmed it down, cutting our stars from those slices)

1 cup blueberries

1 bottle of RELAX Riesling

12 oz. lemon lime soda

1 shot of Triple Sec

*Needs: a star shaped cookie cutter

Directions

Make star cut outs from your watermelon and pineapple. Set aside. Pour wine and Triple Sec into pitcher. Stir. Add in all fruit. Chill for 3 hours. Add lemon lime soda prior to serving. If you’re feeling festive, garnish glasses with small stars!

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